Definition of literary
1a : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of humane learning or literature a literary education a literary institutionb : bookish 2 an essay written in a very literary stylec : of or relating to books a literary agent a literary manuscript
2a : well-read he is literary, given to quoting to himself rather long stretches of remembered lines — F. J. Hoffmanb : of or relating to authors or scholars or to their professions her literary biographies
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Examples of literary in a Sentence
Do his books have any literary merit?
Mystery fiction is only one of many literary forms.
an essay written in a very literary style
The author uses many literary devices in his work.
He entered the literary world right out of college.
She hired a literary agent.
Recent Examples of literary from the Web
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Ervin, a novelist, brings a literary sensibility to his study of the medium.
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The Hay Festival, one of the world’s great literary gatherings, is going stronger than ever in its 30th year.
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Bibliophiles can peruse a wide range of books on history, literary arts, travel, fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks and more.
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The who's who of literary contributors to this timeless anthology of nonfiction essays includes Junot Díaz, Dagoberto Gilb, Francisco Goldman and Marjorie Agosín.
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Empathy as the catalyst for such a conversion becomes a cheap literary device, a deus ex machina, rather than something that must be practiced.
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Bill's narration gives the movie a certain literary quality, while framing the disjointed episodes that are depicted.
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The team chose Chicago for its central location and its historic and dynamic literary tradition—
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Chip Gaines, one half of the superstar couple on HGTV's Fixer Upper, is about to make his second mark on the literary world.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'literary'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of literary
1605
Other Literature Terms
LITERARY Defined for English Language Learners
literary
playDefinition of literary for English Language Learners
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: of or relating to literature
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: used in literature
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: having a lot of knowledge about literature : known for reading or writing books
LITERARY Defined for Kids
literary
playDefinition of literary for Students
: of or relating to literature
Learn More about literary
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for literary Spanish Central: Translation of literary Nglish: Translation of literary for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of literary for Arabic speakers
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